By Cam Lucadou-Wells
After a war of words, an election candidate’s sign has been removed from outside the Dandenong RSL sub-branch.
Dandenong Ward candidate Liaqat Khan’s sign had been the lone placard on the fence on the corner of Foster and Clow streets for at least eight days.
RSL staff took down the sign on the morning of Tuesday 13 October after a complaint from mayor and election rival Jim Memeti.
That followed an overnight Facebook row between Mr Khan and Cr Memeti, who posted a photo of the sign and declared Mr Khan showed “no respect” to the RSL.
“I have worked with the Australian Defence Force for 5 years, did you?” Mr Khan replied.
“You are a disgrace to put your sign on the RSL,” Cr Memeti said.
“How disgusting are you. That place is sacred you should respect Australia and its people.”
Mr Khan served as an interpreter with the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan for five years.
During that time, he nearly died while travelling in a ADF Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle that was bombed, he said.
Due to safety concerns, the ADF helped Mr Khan and his family move to Australia on humanitarian visas in 2014.
Mr Khan, who is not an RSL member, says he phoned Dandenong sub-branch to permit the sign last week.
A male from the RSL gave him the OK, he says.
“They said I’m a war veteran … I’m so happy and so honoured they’re giving me this permission because I’m one of them,” Mr Khan told Star Journal.
The RSL sub-branch – which is closed to the public is staffed by only a few onsite during Covid-19 lockdown. It has no record or recollection of the request.
According to the RSL, none of the staff were aware of the sign until 13 October.
That morning, Mr Khan rang and got permission for the sign from Dandenong’s affiliate RSL sub-branch Cranbourne.
Its secretary Barry Rogers confirmed the approval to Star Journal.
“He did ring me. I saw nothing wrong with it – it was outside the RSL perimeter. It was facing away on the public side not the RSL side.”
Twenty minutes later the sign was taken down, he said.
Dandenong sub-branch president John Wells said the RSL’s policy was to keep its Foster Street perimeter fence clear of advertising.
“While we value our relationship with the Afghan community and value their shared service, we don’t take part in any politics.
“We don’t allow signs on our fence anyway.”
Cr Memeti told the Star Journal that the RSL was “not a place where we should be advertising political statements or photos whatsoever”.
“The returned men and women fought for out country, for our freedoms and we should respect it.”
Mr Khan blamed the “powerful” Cr Memeti and “his friends on council” for having the sign removed.
“This is clear pressure from the council.”
